Alberta weather being kind

It has been one of those beautiful clear winter days - the kind that is momentarily warm enough to undo your jacket, bask in some sunshine, and dream of Spring.

The snow is melting a bit - and boy, we have had a lot. December came in hard and fast and was the month that just kept on giving.  Inches of the white stuff.  My back garden is still 10 inches deep.

The dogs loved the opportunity to run today.  Dog outings have been mostly short, brisk and functional these past few weeks.

Honey relishes the whole back-rub thing.... 

... again and again and again.

However, during this hazardous sport, snow does get in your ears.

Smudge finds golf ball, one of those left-over-from-the-summer balls, as it emerges from the melting frozen course.

And just look how much fun you can have hiding a white golf ball in white snow.

You can pounce and dig for hours with this game.

And as ever on my blog, I insist on showing you the mountains.  You can't get bored of a view like that, can you?

And if you do, perhaps you can fly off somewhere new?

Visiting the home country

Belatedly, I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year.

We spent a lovely couple of weeks visiting family and friends in the extremely wet and soggy and some-time flooded Surrey and South London area of the UK.  This was our first Christmas back here since emigrating six and a half years ago...

It was busy, wet, fattening, windy, wet, exciting, wet, tiring, funny, pretty, expensive, and did I mention that it rained occasionally? However, after flying out from the snowiest Calgary December on record for 112 years, I was enjoying the look of green grass, which was visible when it wasn't flooded! 

Visiting the UK often brings out my inner tourist, 

with an obligatory wander around London 

to see the Christmas lights.

This is Covent Garden, an indoor market/mini mall of fancy goods - with a delightful glitter ball and giant decorations - it looked so pretty even though we were freezing our arses off during yet another storm of sideways wind and rain.

We arrived home yesterday to -21 degrees and tons more snow.  Hmmmmm.

I am wishing you all a very lovely, peaceful and fun 2014.  Buckle up folks - here we go!